The month of June has flown by. Most of you are in the loop as far as what has been going on, but just in case you were out of it, let me give you a wrap up.
Beginning of June:
As we were preparing for one of our busiest months of ministry with the largest amount of short term volunteers I have ever seen, our directors received a call from the states with devastating news. This sparked a mad dash to get plane tickets and transfer responsibilities to Kels and I. Within a three day period, they trained Kelsi and I on the tasks that they normally handle, and left for the states. Because Sarah and SJ are in the process of adoption (just like Abby and Lily), they are unable to travel, so they stayed with Kelsi and I. Half of the volunteers for the month showed up--a world race team of ten girls, with the addition of one more in a couple days.
Middle of June:
We spent a week with the world race team being awesome, as they usually are. We had another team of five arrive, and another single person, bringing our total volunteers up to eighteen. That is a lot of volunteers! The team of five people came from Liberty Church, who sponsored our computers at school, before I came to Bykota House. They were great! We went on field trips with the kids, and they did a special sewing and business class. They also took Kelsi and I out to eat on several occasions--the world race team baby sat on some of (most of) those nights, so Kels and I could have a meal in peace and quiet... sigh. We had another volunteer come towards the end of the Liberty trip.
End of June:
The Liberty team left (they'll be back... I can always tell), and two days later, the world race team left--leaving us with the two volunteers that came separately and by themselves. They have been holding down the fort at Mark and Rhonda's house and taking care of baby Leah. One of them is also doing preschool this week. The Benz's will be coming home tonight, and the month will be over--the month that only God could have worked together. We could not have made it through the month without the abundance of help that we had. Looking back on the team meetings that we had leading up to June, I remember thinking about how many volunteers were coming and wondering what we were going to do with all of them, but God knew all along, and He worked everything out in the end. I just look back in awe and give Him the worship and glory that He deserves.
Special Request:
During the month of June, because I had four pre-schoolers to transport in the morning, we had to take tuk tuks every day to school. I worked out with Boo Sovon to pay him at the end of the month for the tuk tuks, so that I wouldn't have to make sure to have the money every day. Boo is amazing. When I was gone to the states in January, he gave Kelsi tuk tuks for free the whole three weeks I was gone. I know that he is in the process of paying off a home loan, and he could use a blessing, and I thought I would throw it out to all of you. We can gather the money to pay him the normal amount for this month, and do the math, but I would rather bless him and his family with extra. I will tell you that the normal cost would be about $120. Like I said, we can pay him that, or we could double or triple it! He has been an amazing blessing to our family, and I would love to bless him back. If you would like to give towards this, please go to our "Support Us" tab, and go through the online process, and then email us at micah.kelsi@gmail.com to let us know how much you gave and that it is for Boo.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
June 27, 2014
June 23, 2014
Fasting for Foster Care [UPDATED 9/1/2014]
If you have been following our blog for the last few months you will know that we are in the process of getting foster care for the girls. We have finally finished gathering all the paper work and now all that is left is the waiting game. First we are waiting for our friend to take the papers to the ministry, he is waiting for the ministry to tell him he can come, then we will wait for approval. We really feel like this is the track God has us on and we have done our best to seek His will all the way. We don't want to just sit back and wait. We are tired of just waiting! So we have decided to take action the only way we can...prayer and fasting. We are asking you to consider praying and fasting with us. How it will work is, we will choose something to fast from until we have foster care for the girls. I, Kelsi, am choosing to fast from chocolate. This doesn't mean I am just not going to eat chocolate until it is done, it means every time I think about or want to eat chocolate I will pray for our foster care to be finished. So you have to option to fast from Facebook, chocolate, pop, or something else of your choice. Let us know if you want to join by sending us your name and what you are fasting from in our email (micah.kelsi@gmail.com) so we can keep you updated on the process and specific prayer request regarding our foster care.
UPDATE:
On the 1st of September, we received a call from the ministry, and our foster care was approved. Read about it in the post entitled "Foster Care: God Provides"
UPDATE:
On the 1st of September, we received a call from the ministry, and our foster care was approved. Read about it in the post entitled "Foster Care: God Provides"
June 22, 2014
Volunteers and The Mission Mindset
Working on the field, we have many short term volunteers come to Bykota House. I have noticed that, just as the body of Christ is vastly different, we too have different types of teams and volunteers. Overall, there are two types of teams that come to work with us. There are the teams that come alongside and lift the burden off your back for a time, so you can take a breather, and also teams that come alongside and till the field with you, so you can accomplish five times more work. Both are great. I enjoy when we have teams that come and take over the school, so I can have an afternoon off, or that babysit, so Kels and I can have a date night. I also am so glad that we have those that come and give us the opportunity to take the kids on field trips or plan big, elaborate activities for the kids to do, with my supervision and help. Some people think that if you prefer one, that the other must not be good, but I disagree--every team is a blessing. Within the teams, there are also different kinds of volunteers. Some people come and want to do, do, do. They just want you to put them to a task and work them to death on something. To that I say, "Awesome! Here are some things that need to be built/organized/painted." While other volunteers want to be relational and hang out with the kids and get to know them, and to that I say, "Great! I have some amazing kids that would love your attention!" There are even those who come just wanting to do whatever is needed, and I am not going to lie, I think that this is a fantastic attitude, and I appreciate flexibility, so to them I say, "You are my favorite..." Not really, but you get the idea that we have all kinds of volunteers, and they are always such a blessing, but there is one thing I notice has almost ceased to exist in missions. When we come to a ministry, our attitude is always, "What can I do." We want to be useful. We must have a purpose. I do not think that this is a bad attitude to have. We want to be as helpful as possible, during the time we have set apart, but I also think that this attitude sometimes stems from pride. We must have something to do, so that we have validation for coming. We want the pat on the back that comes from a job well done. I understand that most people spend thousands of dollars for the plane ticket alone, so I know why they want their time to be productive, and I agree, but there is a form of missions that I think we have forgotten about, and that is the missions of encouragement. Do we remember that Paul sent people with his letters? In most every case, those carrying the letters came to the churches in those cities and just encouraged the believers there. They weren't there to build a wall or teach in a school. They didn't need a purpose for being there, except that there were believers who needed encouragement living in that city. We mostly think that we should be encouraging, while we are doing other things. Could you ever imagine going on a missions trip just to encourage the believers in that area? To come to a ministry and simply make it your aim to pray with the missionaries on site everyday and live life with them. To speak words that would build them up and have a meal with them. Yes, and be willing to help in anyway. Being on the receiving end of short term missions trips, I have to be honest it is difficult to find things to do sometimes, but I am always encouraged when I am able to sit down and talk to people about what God is doing in their lives, and just have time to talk with other believers: doesn't that always build you up? The reason we do not consider this missions is most likely because we can't take a picture of it, but if you want my opinion, we could use a lot more short term encouragers--who make it their aim to be helpful in any way necessary, but also will just spend time in genuine fellowship with other believers--those that understand this to be missions work just as much as anything else that we could be doing. We have had many encouragers on the teams that have come through, and I am always energized by their presence and able to keep on with God's work, with new life, because of it. So, my encouragement: build your wall, teach English, love on kids, paint some rooms, but remember that being busy is not the goal of a short term missions trip. Spend some time with the people you are serving alongside and be an encourager, and you will bring a blessing to them in a way you could have never imagined.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
May 28, 2014
Foster Care in the Works
Well, as most of you know, Kelsi and I have been working on obtaining foster care through the Ministry of Social Affairs. Previously, we had a Family Based Care Agreement with Bykota House, which basically was foster care through our children's home ministry. Foster care through the Ministry of Social Affairs is much stronger. I began putting paper work together, after Kelsi left for her month in the states--thought I might have some extra time on my hands, and I did. Just an update on what we have been up to, this is the list of things that we need to apply for foster care--with the things marked out that we have already obtained.
For the Foster Parent:
1.
Letter of Request to the Minister of Social
Affairs
2.
Supporting letter from the Center where the
child resides written to the Minister.
3.
Affidavit from the US Embassy
4.
Medical certificate
5.
Marriage certificate
6.
Birth certificates
7.
Psychological report
8.
Family Based Care Agreement
9.
House lease agreement
10. Certificate
of residence
11. Financial
statement
12. Certificate
of employment
13. Copies
of passports
14. Copies
of visas
15. Criminal
Background Check
16. Birth
certificates
17. Documents
of admission to the Center or orphanage
18. CV (history) of the child prepared by the Center
19. Supporting
letter from the Center
20. Documents
on Abigail’s eye
21. Visa
picture for the girls
For the Foster Parent:
For the foster child:
***Translated copies of all documents originally written in English***
The Affidavit should be done tomorrow afternoon. The Medical certificate will be done as soon as our doctor knows what she is supposed to be checking for. The Psychological report is done, but we are waiting on the original copies to arrive from Batombong. Still looking into the Criminal Background check... online it says that we have to send everything by mail, so we will probably prepare all the materials and have them brought over to Kelsi's mom in the states, but then it says that it will take at least 25 days to process, and then we will have to get the report back to Cambodia some how--the mail is not reliable here. After that we have some forms in Khmer that a friend is going to help us with, and we can apply at the Ministry of Social Affairs for foster care. No it is not an adoption. A friend of ours, however, who has this has been able to get a travel visa for her son and take a trip to the States. This legal tie is a big step towards adoptions, too. If you are Khmer and have foster care through the Ministry, after six months, they encourage you to adopt. Things seem to be moving at the US Embassy too. Today, when they rejected our Affidavit, they gave us an example form that was for when an American needs to apply for a Cambodian Adoption and needs an Affidavit stating that they have informed the US Embassy. It is a slow process, but it is exciting to see movement towards something tangible. Please keep praying for us, and pray specifically for all of this paper work to come together and for us to have favor with the Ministry of Social Affairs. God has plans greater than ours, and we are trusting Him, as we walk on this path in Cambodia. Thanks for your support and prayer!
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
UPDATE!:
We got the Affidavit signed today! WOOT! May 29th, 2014
UPDATE!:
We received the Psychological Evaluation today from Batombang! Yeah!!!! Only two more things! May 31st, 2014
UPDATE!:
We found out that the medical check ups did not need to be for us, but for the girls, so we had some worked up by our doctor--basically saying that we have been taking the girls in for check ups and have taken care of their shots. DONE! June 1st, 2014
UPDATE!:
We found out that our background checks did not need to be professional FBI backgrounds. Kelsi's grandpa, Wendell, was able to get us what we needed through his Kamp Kersey connections. We have them now, and that concludes all the things that we were supposed to get together for foster care!
June 9th, 2014
UPDATE!:
I spoke with Channa today (Channa is helping us get our stuff together to apply), and we have one more piece of paper work (a Khmer application) and then we can apply. Currently, we have been told that foster care applications are on hold, due to something in the government, or because someone did something bad--that is usually how it works. We will apply as soon as possible. We are meeting with Channa tomorrow to sign the Khmer Application.
UPDATE!:
We got the Affidavit signed today! WOOT! May 29th, 2014
UPDATE!:
We received the Psychological Evaluation today from Batombang! Yeah!!!! Only two more things! May 31st, 2014
UPDATE!:
We found out that the medical check ups did not need to be for us, but for the girls, so we had some worked up by our doctor--basically saying that we have been taking the girls in for check ups and have taken care of their shots. DONE! June 1st, 2014
UPDATE!:
We found out that our background checks did not need to be professional FBI backgrounds. Kelsi's grandpa, Wendell, was able to get us what we needed through his Kamp Kersey connections. We have them now, and that concludes all the things that we were supposed to get together for foster care!
June 9th, 2014
UPDATE!:
I spoke with Channa today (Channa is helping us get our stuff together to apply), and we have one more piece of paper work (a Khmer application) and then we can apply. Currently, we have been told that foster care applications are on hold, due to something in the government, or because someone did something bad--that is usually how it works. We will apply as soon as possible. We are meeting with Channa tomorrow to sign the Khmer Application.
May 23, 2014
Birth Date?
So, as many of you know, it is very difficult to pin down birthdays for children at a children's home. We have had some who did not even know their own birthday. When Abby and Lily came to us, we were told that Abby's birthday was February 14th. So adorable! She is a valentines baby! After we had learned a bit more Khmer, we checked again, and realized that it was not February 14th, but rather February 22nd. Well, Kelsi and I have been working on gathering the paper work to apply for foster care through the Ministry of Social affairs, and since my Khmer reading is a little bit better, I decided to look at the girl's paper work again, and Abby's birth certificate has her birthday as January 22nd! And even more than that, we though she was born in 2009, and her birth certificate says that she was born in 2010! Which would make her four years old NOT five! Kelsi is convinced that she could not be four years old. Our Khmer teacher helped me read the documents, and he is sure that it is accurate. I chose to believe that my daughter is the smartest four year old ever! Oh Cambodia! We are looking into the validity of the document, but most likely we will have to go with what it says, whether we think it is correct or not. That is just the way it works here sometimes: documents are wrong, and that is that. That is all. Just thought you would find this amusing. So with this change in Abby's birthday, our family has my birthday on December 31st, Lily's birthday on January 20th, Abby's birthday on January 22nd, Kelsi's birthday on January 23rd, and Melody's birthday on January 25th. What a birthday season! I see some group birthday blow-outs in our future!
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
UPDATE:
We have verified that Abby was born on January 22nd, 2010, and she really is four years old. I spoke with the girl's aunt who is on staff at Bykota House, and after intense questioning on my part, she finally was perplexed when I asked, "How old would you say Abby is?" Her reply, "She is four..." Ok. So, that is settled, and my daughter is a genius.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
UPDATE:
We have verified that Abby was born on January 22nd, 2010, and she really is four years old. I spoke with the girl's aunt who is on staff at Bykota House, and after intense questioning on my part, she finally was perplexed when I asked, "How old would you say Abby is?" Her reply, "She is four..." Ok. So, that is settled, and my daughter is a genius.
May 16, 2014
School of the Nations Update
Our school is always fluctuating. Since I have been here, we have tried different types of teaching, different methods of groups, and every time you think you got it figured out, something new happens. This year, we had the fluctuation of Kelsi having Melody--she was teaching our elementary group. Put together a rotation schedule that divides my time between them and the older boys, and utilizes peer mentoring, and that hurdle is jumped. The elementary is a great group, and I really enjoy teaching them. A new hurdle is a system that I am in the process of creating (with Kelsi's help) called Pace Book Online. It is basically a bunch of interactive PDF documents that help the young kids become familiar with the words they see in their pace books. It is basically curriculum development. The middle school group had been working great. I spent a year working on a system to meet the needs of a group that ranges from no English at all (speaking, writing, reading, nothing) to practically high school level (speaking fluently, writing creatively, reading with ease). Finally had a group system worked out and it was going splendidly, and then we had a new student, so my groups were blown to pieces. Recently we lost a student. He went to be with his family who is now able to take care of him. Most of you know Timothy from the "What Is It!?" videos. He will be missed very much. I keep finding things that remind me that he is gone, and it is weird, because I am happy that he gets to be with his family, but also saddened that my time with him was cut short. He has made so much progress and he is a joy to be around. With his leaving, my groups for middle school were obliterated, and I basically had to start over. That is the reality in any school system. At the moment, I believe that our system is pretty awesome, with a rotation schedule that meets the needs of every student and also has time for speaking, writing, listening to, and reading English. I get to teach with a ratio of one to three, because of the rotations, and this ensures that the kids are getting the most attention. When we have teams, it is a one to one ratio, but I am confident that anyone could teach this class by themselves, after some training. I am in the process of creating a "School of the Nations Plan" that lays out how to run the school, because in the months of January and February, I was pretty well absent. This has been an amazing experience for me, and I have gained so much experience with curriculum development, classroom management, and even being a principal. If God ever allows/calls Kelsi and I back to the states, I will have a pretty great resume from my time as School Administrator at School of the Nations ;) Well, that is the update on how the school has been going. If you have any questions, please let me know. Also I am happy to share material.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
May 1, 2014
The Countdown - Suitable Partner
This is a shameless blog about how much I love my wife. If you are not in the mood for a mushy, gushy blog, then I suggest you let this one slip.
It is exactly five days and four hours until I get to see my wife again. There have been a few people who have told me that they have spent up to month(s) (that is plural) separate from their spouse, and I think that is unbearable.
I want to start by first saying that I am very glad that my wife was able to go back to the States and spend time with family and friends, and re-charge (she had not made a trip back since we came in June 2012). I know how important it is to leave right. We came to Cambodia and stayed longer than we expected (God wasn't surprised), and there is a certain amount of closure that I think helps, when you are able to be in the States and leave, knowing that you will not be back for a while (a long while). I say all of this, so that you don't think that I didn't want Kelsi to go. I am glad she went, and I am glad that she is coming back in five days, three hours, and fifty-five minutes.
I have had many people ask me how I am doing with the girls and such, and my answer has been, "Things are good. We are eating and sleeping. The girls are great." And that is true, Kelsi and I have a great routine for bedtime, morning time, eating time, and so all of these things go on. Kelsi made it even easier, because she made me a bunch of pre-cooked meals, that I only needed to heat up, and we have had great dinners. People have asked me whether I need help with food, and I have answered truthfully... no, because Kelsi took care of it--even I can throw something in a pan and heat it up. So, I have been fine, the girls have been great. We are surviving.
I think that people like to be valued. Part of being valued is being missed. I think when people leave, they secretly hope that things don't go so well, because they want to know that they play a key role. Kelsi and I both have a flaw. It is called 'pride' technically, but it shows itself in not wanting to be needy and ask for help. We put on a brave face, and only when things are completely unbearable, do we ask for assistance (yes, I know we need to work on it, but there has to be other people in the world who need more help than us). The point is that things have not been super great. There is a huge part of our family gone. I am not wanting to complain or make anyone, especially Kelsi, feel bad, but I want everyone to know that when my partner in crime, and life sharer is away, things do not just move on like normal. She is my heart. She shoulders the load of life with me, and sometimes carries me on her back on top of the load. Without her, everyday seems a little less beautiful. My bed is empty, other than Muggy, and he is a poor substitute.
I find it funny the way people sometimes talk about their spouses, and you almost want to step in and say, wait, you should talk about God that way, it is almost blasphemous to talk about your wife that way. You are wrong. My relationship and love of my wife is a reflection of Christ's love for the church. And the deeper I love my wife, the better I understand Christ's love for us. Of course I love God more than my wife, don't be silly. To say that I need her and love her more than all the gold in the world, is both truthful and not blasphemous.
God saw Adam in the garden and said, we should make him a partner that is suitable for him. I know that God has different callings for some people, and Paul would say that it is better to remain single, but God looked down and saw me, and said, he needs a partner suitable for him, and He sent Kelsi to me. Some people have fallen off of the "true love/soul mate" wagon, because they say we don't have one perfect person for us. They say that this mindset has led to divorces, because people get married and then find their "soul mate," and it is not their wife or husband. They also say that this idea has put fear into people who now think that they might chose the wrong person. In reality, we get to make the choice and it should be based on wisdom not emotions, I agree with all of those things. But, as a very wise and beautiful woman once said, "It is kind of like the whole free will versus predestined argument. God chose us, because He knew that we would choose Him. In the same way, God knew who you would choose to marry all along, and so they are the person that God had for you all along." - Kelsi Bergen. She is the person that God had for me. He knew who I needed, and he brought her to me. In a time when I thought I knew everything, God came and said, "Nope. This girl is the person who will help you grow into the man that I really want you to be." She is humble and faithful. She is gentle, but she does not get pushed around. She is not afraid or worried, but quietly trusts in the Lord. She is not perfect, and neither am I, but we are both willing to allow God to work in us, through each other. That is what marriage is about: God takes two people and binds them together into one, and they begin to become more like Christ, because they have each other as an example of Christ and His love. You think as a single person that your way is the best way, and when you get married you find out that it is not, and God opens your eyes to see that He works in so many different ways. Kelsi, my wife, is so much like Christ, and I know that I would not be the man I am today, without her.
So, yes, life has gone on. We have been ok, but I could not look you straight in the face and tell you that my life is at all close to being great. I think most husbands would agree, my life on the inside is a train wreck when she is away. My desire to do anything slowly fades. Who do I share my experiences with, day to day? My partner in crime is not around...
My life is about pleasing God and glorifying Him, loving my wife the way Christ loves the church (you know that He is longing to be reunited with us), being a father to my daughters in the same way that God is a father to me, and loving others, even those that do not treat me well, especially those that don't treat me well. I love my wife more than any other person on the planet, even though there are some close seconds--like the two that are asleep in their beds right now, and the one that will be in my wife's arms when she returns in five days, three hours, and thirty minutes. She is the one that I choose to spend the rest of my life with, and the one that God created just for me. I do not claim to understand heaven. I know that Jesus said in heaven we will not be married or get married, but I wonder if I will remember Kelsi as my wife, in heaven. I don't know how our memory will work. I know that there will be no more tears in heaven and no more sin, so there will be some part of my time here on earth that I will not remember, but I hope that I get to recall this beautiful blessing and how she impacted my life on earth, so I can thank God to His face for creating such a perfect helper for me and praise Him for being a good God. Thank God for giving me such a great wife. Oy! I can't wait to kiss her when she gets back, I miss her like crazy!
Ok. Mushy-gushy over. Have a good day, everyone! I am going to sleep one of the five more sleeps I have to, before my wife is laying next to me again.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
It is exactly five days and four hours until I get to see my wife again. There have been a few people who have told me that they have spent up to month(s) (that is plural) separate from their spouse, and I think that is unbearable.
I want to start by first saying that I am very glad that my wife was able to go back to the States and spend time with family and friends, and re-charge (she had not made a trip back since we came in June 2012). I know how important it is to leave right. We came to Cambodia and stayed longer than we expected (God wasn't surprised), and there is a certain amount of closure that I think helps, when you are able to be in the States and leave, knowing that you will not be back for a while (a long while). I say all of this, so that you don't think that I didn't want Kelsi to go. I am glad she went, and I am glad that she is coming back in five days, three hours, and fifty-five minutes.
I have had many people ask me how I am doing with the girls and such, and my answer has been, "Things are good. We are eating and sleeping. The girls are great." And that is true, Kelsi and I have a great routine for bedtime, morning time, eating time, and so all of these things go on. Kelsi made it even easier, because she made me a bunch of pre-cooked meals, that I only needed to heat up, and we have had great dinners. People have asked me whether I need help with food, and I have answered truthfully... no, because Kelsi took care of it--even I can throw something in a pan and heat it up. So, I have been fine, the girls have been great. We are surviving.
I think that people like to be valued. Part of being valued is being missed. I think when people leave, they secretly hope that things don't go so well, because they want to know that they play a key role. Kelsi and I both have a flaw. It is called 'pride' technically, but it shows itself in not wanting to be needy and ask for help. We put on a brave face, and only when things are completely unbearable, do we ask for assistance (yes, I know we need to work on it, but there has to be other people in the world who need more help than us). The point is that things have not been super great. There is a huge part of our family gone. I am not wanting to complain or make anyone, especially Kelsi, feel bad, but I want everyone to know that when my partner in crime, and life sharer is away, things do not just move on like normal. She is my heart. She shoulders the load of life with me, and sometimes carries me on her back on top of the load. Without her, everyday seems a little less beautiful. My bed is empty, other than Muggy, and he is a poor substitute.
I find it funny the way people sometimes talk about their spouses, and you almost want to step in and say, wait, you should talk about God that way, it is almost blasphemous to talk about your wife that way. You are wrong. My relationship and love of my wife is a reflection of Christ's love for the church. And the deeper I love my wife, the better I understand Christ's love for us. Of course I love God more than my wife, don't be silly. To say that I need her and love her more than all the gold in the world, is both truthful and not blasphemous.
God saw Adam in the garden and said, we should make him a partner that is suitable for him. I know that God has different callings for some people, and Paul would say that it is better to remain single, but God looked down and saw me, and said, he needs a partner suitable for him, and He sent Kelsi to me. Some people have fallen off of the "true love/soul mate" wagon, because they say we don't have one perfect person for us. They say that this mindset has led to divorces, because people get married and then find their "soul mate," and it is not their wife or husband. They also say that this idea has put fear into people who now think that they might chose the wrong person. In reality, we get to make the choice and it should be based on wisdom not emotions, I agree with all of those things. But, as a very wise and beautiful woman once said, "It is kind of like the whole free will versus predestined argument. God chose us, because He knew that we would choose Him. In the same way, God knew who you would choose to marry all along, and so they are the person that God had for you all along." - Kelsi Bergen. She is the person that God had for me. He knew who I needed, and he brought her to me. In a time when I thought I knew everything, God came and said, "Nope. This girl is the person who will help you grow into the man that I really want you to be." She is humble and faithful. She is gentle, but she does not get pushed around. She is not afraid or worried, but quietly trusts in the Lord. She is not perfect, and neither am I, but we are both willing to allow God to work in us, through each other. That is what marriage is about: God takes two people and binds them together into one, and they begin to become more like Christ, because they have each other as an example of Christ and His love. You think as a single person that your way is the best way, and when you get married you find out that it is not, and God opens your eyes to see that He works in so many different ways. Kelsi, my wife, is so much like Christ, and I know that I would not be the man I am today, without her.
So, yes, life has gone on. We have been ok, but I could not look you straight in the face and tell you that my life is at all close to being great. I think most husbands would agree, my life on the inside is a train wreck when she is away. My desire to do anything slowly fades. Who do I share my experiences with, day to day? My partner in crime is not around...
My life is about pleasing God and glorifying Him, loving my wife the way Christ loves the church (you know that He is longing to be reunited with us), being a father to my daughters in the same way that God is a father to me, and loving others, even those that do not treat me well, especially those that don't treat me well. I love my wife more than any other person on the planet, even though there are some close seconds--like the two that are asleep in their beds right now, and the one that will be in my wife's arms when she returns in five days, three hours, and thirty minutes. She is the one that I choose to spend the rest of my life with, and the one that God created just for me. I do not claim to understand heaven. I know that Jesus said in heaven we will not be married or get married, but I wonder if I will remember Kelsi as my wife, in heaven. I don't know how our memory will work. I know that there will be no more tears in heaven and no more sin, so there will be some part of my time here on earth that I will not remember, but I hope that I get to recall this beautiful blessing and how she impacted my life on earth, so I can thank God to His face for creating such a perfect helper for me and praise Him for being a good God. Thank God for giving me such a great wife. Oy! I can't wait to kiss her when she gets back, I miss her like crazy!
Ok. Mushy-gushy over. Have a good day, everyone! I am going to sleep one of the five more sleeps I have to, before my wife is laying next to me again.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
April 20, 2014
Family Matters: What You Think To Accomplish
There is a vast difference between what you think you will accomplish and what you actually accomplish, with free time. I am getting ahead of myself, though. It is Khmer New Year (or it was). I just finished an entire week off of school and ministry! I literally had no contact with Bykota House for an entire week, other than Facebook updates. Kels and I are still not completely moved in yet--there are still boxes unpacked and rooms unorganized. My plan was to hammer the whole house out this week. Monday, I got up normal time and began the work of deep cleaning and organizing and unpacking. I finished the bottom floor. It took the entire day--probably took longer, because I was being nit picky about arrangements of things and such, changing my mind fifty times before settling on something. At the end of the day, the bottom floor looked great. Clean, organized, spiffy. Here is where what I thought I would accomplished got derailed. I had told Abby about this week on Sunday. I said, "Hey. Do you wanna skip school next week and just stay at home and play. We could swim and play on the roof, and we could even watch movies every night if we wanted to." She was very excited about it. And you know what... that first day, we did none of those things. Abby and Lily played upstairs with their toys, while I cleaned. Abby begged to help, but after having her sweep the floor for an hour, I couldn't think of any other ways to get her involved. (Her time will come, because I grew up in a chore household, and we daily cleaned and did our part). The thing is, I for the most part ignored Abby and Lily all day. Lately, they have been at school, and then I see them for a brief period during lunch time (which I know a lot of dads do not get, so I am grateful), and then I go back to school. By the time I get home, we have started our dinner and bed time routines. I feel like I hardly spend any time with them anymore. And it hit me! I am wasting this whole week on cleaning and organizing!? I assumed that a week off school would be the perfect time to focus on our house, but I was wrong. It was the perfect time to focus on my girls. So, at the end of the week, I accomplished nothing that I set out to accomplish. You know what I did accomplish? I played dress up and dance party, had multiple fake meals prepared by none other than the great chef Abigail Roat and her assistant Lily Niet, played marbles, played cards (the girls did not like Uno), played chase me on the roof, and stayed up too late watching a movie on a few of those nights, too. We did our normal bed time routines and went out to eat at the place with "the broken toys" as Abby calls it (Fresh Pizza). You know what was great about this week? I never rushed anywhere. We had no where to be and nothing to do. When it took three hours to get our pizza, because I took the advice of a friend who said "Dude, it's two for one pizza at Fresh Pizza!" Everyone apparently knew about that... It didn't matter. The girls had fun playing with the toys, and I never looked at my watch and thought, "We have to get home for bedtime because ____." I think sometimes we get so caught up in our daily, busy routines that we forget to enjoy our kids. We take care of their needs, but we do not enjoy them. I picked Abby up from the top bunk, to get her up after nap time today, and she is sooooo stinkin big! She was Lily's size when she came, and Lily was a baby, just learned to walk, who hardly spoke at all. Now she keeps up with Abby (that is a feat). So to summarize this week: I got nothing off my list of things to do done, but I sure had a blast not doing those things! We definitely need to do this more often, and I am so grateful that my daughters still think it is cool to play make-believe with their daddy. Time to cherish that as long as it lasts! Until next time!
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
Hey! BECAUSE HE LIVES! HE IS RISEN! HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY EVERYONE!
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
Hey! BECAUSE HE LIVES! HE IS RISEN! HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY EVERYONE!
April 12, 2014
House Tour
So Kelsi and I moved into a new apartment in mid March. Two days after, Wendell came for a visit--he wanted to see the girls, and Kelsi needed help flying to the states. He was so helpful, although he would say that he didn't do much. He spent most of the time with the girls, showing them some Papa love. He also put up multiple fans, which is good, because I am terrible with a power drill and concrete. Kelsi is in the states now, and I miss her like crazy--not to mention Melody. There is still a lot of work to do in the house. There is a room that is exactly the same as when we moved in, except the fan that Wendell mounted on the wall. I am excited, because we do not have school next week. My plan is to get the house in order, and Abby and Lily really want to help. I know that is going to be an adventure... what jobs can I give them to do... oh well, I am just glad that they want to work. We are going to clean and organize and make the house more like a home. I hope to get pictures up of our new house soon, but since I never actually did that in our last house, I will go ahead and give you a tour with my words. So here we go.
First imagine that it is very hot, and dusty, and you are riding in the back of a tuk tuk (google it, if you can't picture what a tuk tuk is) You pull up on a rocky road, and on your right is a three story bright green house, on the corner of a side street off the main street. It is not an attractive bright green, but rather an obnoxious t-shirt bright green. You walk in the double doors, which are glass. The front room has really tall ceilings (maybe twenty feet), and there is a window on what seems to be a middle level between the fist floor and the second floor. This first room is empty of everything but some tools and bicycles--you do not know it, but this is usually the parking area, even though it has tile floors. You walk through a door at the end of the room on the left, and you find yourself in a short hallway. On the right, almost immediately is a door. You open it and find a very small room, that has one window that allows you to see into the room from whence you came (the room with the bicycles). There is a bathroom on the left--across from the window. This room has been recently equipped with an air-conditioning (Thanks Wendell!), and I explain that it is our guest room, and possible intern room. At the moment, however, it has a table and chairs in it, because it also doubles as our dinning room, when we have no guests (which is quite frequently... come and visit us!!). We want to make use of that air-con, after all. As you continue down the hallway, you find yourself in the kitchen. It is a modest kitchen. One wall is counter top space in the shape of an L, and there is an electric oven, one two-burner, gas stove top, and a sink at the bottom of the L. There are cabinets along the counter, and a brand new light on the bottom of them to illuminate the stove top (Again, thanks Wendell!) Across from the stove top is the refrigerator and a cabinet of food. Oh, and there is another bathroom in the kitchen--but I have no idea why... Behind the refrigerator is the stairwell, and you can't help but go up the stairs. You find yourself not on the second floor, but on some middle floor. There is a bedroom on the right and on the left--the only thing that separates them is the short turn around to go up the next flight of stairs. The bedroom on the right, is much larger and is our master bedroom. It has a gigantic window that over looks the bicycle room--this is the window you saw when you entered the house the first time. I will not describe to you the lay out of the room's furniture, because it will most likely change. There is also an air-con in this room, and a bathroom. All the bathrooms in the house are equipped with a shower, and a sink--although the sink is not hooked into any pipes for the water to leave in, so the water just pours out all over the floor, but I tell you I still like spitting into a sink after I brush my teeth! Also, the bathroom is not how you would have picture it. The shower and the toilet are not separated by anything. The bathroom is all one room and when you have finished your shower or washed your hands, the floor is soaked. You will most likely get your briefs wet, if you sit down to use the toilet, and you have to remove your shoes every time you enter, so as to not track mud all through the house and get the bathroom floor dirty--I explain that this is all part of living in Cambodia. All of the baby things are in this master bedroom room--the crib, changing table, ect... Across the "hall" is the room on the left, and it is really small, with no bathroom. I tell you that it is meant to be the sewing/craft room, because my wife is crafty (I wink and nudge you) (However, at the moment, it is the room that I previously mentioned that has not changed since we moved... full of boxes and a lonely sewing machine in the corner). You notice that this room has two windows that create a great breeze through the room. You go up the stairs to the second floor. On the right you see a room that is oddly shaped and has a random square support pole in the middle of it, which is really inconveniently placed, and is also attached to an L shaped rise in the floor... like six inches tall! I tell you that this is the girls room. (Side note: it has mosquito netted slides over the windows on the inside, on both the windows, because there were only two tracks in the window. Wendell paid to have them put in, thanks Wendell! I realize that was not a very vivid description, but they are awesome and worth mentioning, as they keep my beloved daughters from getting dengue fever). You notice the girls' bunk bed, and that it barely fits in their narrow room. They also have a reading nook on the L shaped lifted floor area. I tell you that it was all Kelsi's idea. You also notice that the girls have no toys in this room. Across the way from this bedroom, you see another bathroom. This one does not have a normal toilet in it--it has a squaty potty (google it). Because of this fact, you find a clothes washing machine sitting where you would do your "business" (but not a dryer, because they do not sell them nor need them in Cambodia). The exiting water tube is sticking into the squaty potty hole--I say, "because we are resourceful like that (and wink at you again... really need to stop winking at people)." This bathroom also has all of our cleaning supplies on a shelf in it. To the left of the bathroom and also across from the girls' room you find a really cool room. It has fairly tall ceilings and a ceiling fan, a wall mounted fan, and a stand fan--you notice lots of air movement. There are also some glass double doors leading out to an amazing balcony. In this room, you will find our TV mounted on the wall--I explain to you that missionaries watch TV, too. You are amazed, because your assumption was that missionaries just sit around reading their Bible and praying, unless they are sharing the Gospel, of course. You also find all the girls' toys organized and on shelves, and all my recording and music equipment. I explain to It is my favorite room of the house, and not because it has the TV in it (and I wink again...sigh) (It is my favorite room, because I can work on music, and the girls can play, and we can just be together. It is our family room--we didn't have one in our other house). Out onto the balcony you walk, and you find small table with three chairs around it. I explain that there used to be four chairs, but during the move one mysteriously disappeared... I also say that this is where I have my morning coffee and devotional time, but this is a lie, because although I have planned for it to be used for that purpose, I have yet to sit out there in the morning. You find another stairwell. This one goes up to a covered roof. It is as long as the house, which is very long, because that is the Cambodian way--they build tall and long houses. This is where the girls run and ride bikes. There is a wonderful view of the surrounding area, a metal railing around the whole roof. There is also counter space and Cambodian style ceramic coal powered stove tops. I explain that in Cambodia, most people put their kitchen on the roof, and you are stunned and think what a great idea that is because the heat of baking and cooking would just drift with the wind. Kelsi explains that it is not a good idea, because the dust is terrible, and you would have to walk up and down the stairs while you were cooking. You reconsider your previous thought of it being great. And our tour is at an end. You are out of breath, from climbing all the stairs, and you are thankful that our guest bedroom and the kitchen are on the bottom floor, so you don't have to climb stairs to get to your room or eat.
If you can not picture our house, I apologize that you have no imagination... just kidding. I will try to get some pictures up as soon as I get this house in order next week! Praise God for this house, and thank you to everyone who prays for us and supports us financially. You are such a blessing to our lives.
BecauseHeLives,
The Bergens.
First imagine that it is very hot, and dusty, and you are riding in the back of a tuk tuk (google it, if you can't picture what a tuk tuk is) You pull up on a rocky road, and on your right is a three story bright green house, on the corner of a side street off the main street. It is not an attractive bright green, but rather an obnoxious t-shirt bright green. You walk in the double doors, which are glass. The front room has really tall ceilings (maybe twenty feet), and there is a window on what seems to be a middle level between the fist floor and the second floor. This first room is empty of everything but some tools and bicycles--you do not know it, but this is usually the parking area, even though it has tile floors. You walk through a door at the end of the room on the left, and you find yourself in a short hallway. On the right, almost immediately is a door. You open it and find a very small room, that has one window that allows you to see into the room from whence you came (the room with the bicycles). There is a bathroom on the left--across from the window. This room has been recently equipped with an air-conditioning (Thanks Wendell!), and I explain that it is our guest room, and possible intern room. At the moment, however, it has a table and chairs in it, because it also doubles as our dinning room, when we have no guests (which is quite frequently... come and visit us!!). We want to make use of that air-con, after all. As you continue down the hallway, you find yourself in the kitchen. It is a modest kitchen. One wall is counter top space in the shape of an L, and there is an electric oven, one two-burner, gas stove top, and a sink at the bottom of the L. There are cabinets along the counter, and a brand new light on the bottom of them to illuminate the stove top (Again, thanks Wendell!) Across from the stove top is the refrigerator and a cabinet of food. Oh, and there is another bathroom in the kitchen--but I have no idea why... Behind the refrigerator is the stairwell, and you can't help but go up the stairs. You find yourself not on the second floor, but on some middle floor. There is a bedroom on the right and on the left--the only thing that separates them is the short turn around to go up the next flight of stairs. The bedroom on the right, is much larger and is our master bedroom. It has a gigantic window that over looks the bicycle room--this is the window you saw when you entered the house the first time. I will not describe to you the lay out of the room's furniture, because it will most likely change. There is also an air-con in this room, and a bathroom. All the bathrooms in the house are equipped with a shower, and a sink--although the sink is not hooked into any pipes for the water to leave in, so the water just pours out all over the floor, but I tell you I still like spitting into a sink after I brush my teeth! Also, the bathroom is not how you would have picture it. The shower and the toilet are not separated by anything. The bathroom is all one room and when you have finished your shower or washed your hands, the floor is soaked. You will most likely get your briefs wet, if you sit down to use the toilet, and you have to remove your shoes every time you enter, so as to not track mud all through the house and get the bathroom floor dirty--I explain that this is all part of living in Cambodia. All of the baby things are in this master bedroom room--the crib, changing table, ect... Across the "hall" is the room on the left, and it is really small, with no bathroom. I tell you that it is meant to be the sewing/craft room, because my wife is crafty (I wink and nudge you) (However, at the moment, it is the room that I previously mentioned that has not changed since we moved... full of boxes and a lonely sewing machine in the corner). You notice that this room has two windows that create a great breeze through the room. You go up the stairs to the second floor. On the right you see a room that is oddly shaped and has a random square support pole in the middle of it, which is really inconveniently placed, and is also attached to an L shaped rise in the floor... like six inches tall! I tell you that this is the girls room. (Side note: it has mosquito netted slides over the windows on the inside, on both the windows, because there were only two tracks in the window. Wendell paid to have them put in, thanks Wendell! I realize that was not a very vivid description, but they are awesome and worth mentioning, as they keep my beloved daughters from getting dengue fever). You notice the girls' bunk bed, and that it barely fits in their narrow room. They also have a reading nook on the L shaped lifted floor area. I tell you that it was all Kelsi's idea. You also notice that the girls have no toys in this room. Across the way from this bedroom, you see another bathroom. This one does not have a normal toilet in it--it has a squaty potty (google it). Because of this fact, you find a clothes washing machine sitting where you would do your "business" (but not a dryer, because they do not sell them nor need them in Cambodia). The exiting water tube is sticking into the squaty potty hole--I say, "because we are resourceful like that (and wink at you again... really need to stop winking at people)." This bathroom also has all of our cleaning supplies on a shelf in it. To the left of the bathroom and also across from the girls' room you find a really cool room. It has fairly tall ceilings and a ceiling fan, a wall mounted fan, and a stand fan--you notice lots of air movement. There are also some glass double doors leading out to an amazing balcony. In this room, you will find our TV mounted on the wall--I explain to you that missionaries watch TV, too. You are amazed, because your assumption was that missionaries just sit around reading their Bible and praying, unless they are sharing the Gospel, of course. You also find all the girls' toys organized and on shelves, and all my recording and music equipment. I explain to It is my favorite room of the house, and not because it has the TV in it (and I wink again...sigh) (It is my favorite room, because I can work on music, and the girls can play, and we can just be together. It is our family room--we didn't have one in our other house). Out onto the balcony you walk, and you find small table with three chairs around it. I explain that there used to be four chairs, but during the move one mysteriously disappeared... I also say that this is where I have my morning coffee and devotional time, but this is a lie, because although I have planned for it to be used for that purpose, I have yet to sit out there in the morning. You find another stairwell. This one goes up to a covered roof. It is as long as the house, which is very long, because that is the Cambodian way--they build tall and long houses. This is where the girls run and ride bikes. There is a wonderful view of the surrounding area, a metal railing around the whole roof. There is also counter space and Cambodian style ceramic coal powered stove tops. I explain that in Cambodia, most people put their kitchen on the roof, and you are stunned and think what a great idea that is because the heat of baking and cooking would just drift with the wind. Kelsi explains that it is not a good idea, because the dust is terrible, and you would have to walk up and down the stairs while you were cooking. You reconsider your previous thought of it being great. And our tour is at an end. You are out of breath, from climbing all the stairs, and you are thankful that our guest bedroom and the kitchen are on the bottom floor, so you don't have to climb stairs to get to your room or eat.
If you can not picture our house, I apologize that you have no imagination... just kidding. I will try to get some pictures up as soon as I get this house in order next week! Praise God for this house, and thank you to everyone who prays for us and supports us financially. You are such a blessing to our lives.
BecauseHeLives,
The Bergens.
April 1, 2014
Always be Joyful? Moto Accident
After Kelsi had Meldoy, our daily routine changed a bit. As most of you know, I ride a bike to school, with two child seats on it for Abby and Lily. Before, I would ride my bike in the morning, and then we would all have lunch at school. We would return home at the end of the day (4:00 PM)--Two trips a day. A friend mentioned that she felt she was playing the numbers, and expected to eventually get hit while riding her bike. I completely agree with that. Recently, I doubled my chances of getting hit, because I now ride to school in the morning, come home for lunch, then go back to school at one, and then return at four-and our new house is a little bit further away. I am enjoying the exercise and the time on the bike.
The other day, I wrote a new memory verse song for the kids at School of the Nations (we will have a a memory verse song album out eventually). I introduced it, and it was catchy. It is based on Philippians 4:4 "Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful." I made a point to the kids that even when bad things happen to us, we can still be joyful, because joy and hope are based not on our emotions or things that happen around us, but on the truth of God's word and His promises. So it is the afternoon, I have already brought the girls home from pre-school and lunch--they are safe at home taking a nap. I get on my bike and start singing, "Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord! I will say it again, I will say it again! Be JOYFUL! Be Joyful, my friend! And when you're sad, you should pray, and when you're glad, sing songs of praise. And know that, one day He will come back, and all wrongs will be right again!" BAM! At this point, as I am thinking and meditating on how God works in all situations and that I don't have to worry or lose hope, because He can use any situation for my benefit, I get hit by a moto flying down the road, while the rest of traffic was completely stopped. I being on a bike am able to weave in and out of the stopped cars, and so is this moto. As I am crossing the street, he side swiped my back tire, after passing a stopped car. I saw him coming in my peripheral, and braced myself. Because I did not have the girls with me, I ditched my bike and let it slide out from under me, and then I slid for a couple feet. As I am standing up and dragging my bike out of traffic (the back tire was completely bent), I just began praising God and saying, "Thank you God that the girls were not with me." I ended up with a few scrapes and a sore ankle, but I am already fully recovered. And I now am even more careful on my bike than before. I am also reminded that we have a choice in bad times to either praise God for being good, or to lay our burdens on Him in prayer. Did God hit me with that moto? No, of course not. He allowed it, to grow my faith and maybe, just maybe, it was my fault that I got hit. In the manual for riding a bike in Phnom Penh, it says to get off your bike to cross busy streets, and I ignored that commandment, so of course, I faced the consequence. Is it God's fault when we are hurt after we disobey Him? In either case, we all have a choice, when bad thigns happen to either pray or praise God for the good in the situation. In my case, I chose to sing songs of praise, but if you are in a place in which that is difficult, the Bible is clear on what to do: "Is anyone sad among you, let him pray" - James 5:13. Lay it on God and take up the joy that His promises never fail, and one day, all things will be made right again.
And that is the story of how I got hit by a moto for the first time... I am sure that it will probably happen again, so please continue to pray for the protection of my girls and our family, as we navigate the craziness that is the Cambodian roadway :)
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
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